Several department retirements and a reduction in overtime costs makes the re-hires possible, the story stated.

Mayor Edward J. Clancy Jr. said: "It looks like we will be able to rehire up to 10 custodians that were laid off. So hopefully that eases some of the earlier concerns of the committee that school cleanliness would suffer if custodians were laid off."

The prospective re-hired employees will return to various city schools they had previously cleaned, the story noted.